Orange & Sultana Polenta Cookies

A bit of baking on the blog today! These cookies are made with a mix of wholemeal flour, plain flour and ground polenta to give a lighter mix and uses both the zest and juice of an orange. The recipe uses dried sultanas, but you could easily increase the fruit content by adding dried dates, figs or cherries.

The cookies are best kept in an air-tight container or biscuit tin and will keep for several days. 

Apple & Peach Bake

A bit of baking on the blog today! Apple & Peach bake is a great summer dessert. The fruit is placed in the base of a dish and covered with a light batter that bakes into a tasty sponge. You could easily increases or substitute the fruit content with apricots, pears, mixed berries or even dried raisins which would all work well.

Perfect hot or cold, it's even better served with a little sweetened crème fraiche or low fat ice cream on the side.

Apple & Banana Smoothie

Smoothies are a great way to boost your fruit intake and make an ideal breakfast on the go. You could even pop it into a thermos and have as a mid morning snack. Alternatively, it's ideal as a refreshing outdoor dessert that's perfect for picnics or barbecues.  

You can easily increase the fruit content by adding some mixed berries or soft fruit such as peaches or pears. 

Taco Shells

Following on from yesterday's Tortilla Crisps post, up today are taco shells. The shells follow exactly the same recipe, but are shaped over a wire rack and baked in the oven to keep their shape. 

While obviously perfect for making tacos, taco shells are a great alternative to bread and work well instead of bread or wraps for a filling lunch. 

Tortilla Crisps

Tortilla crisps are the perfect snack for watching tv, but they can be quite oily and loaded with salt. This baked version contains a fraction of the calories and can be flavoured just as you like. They are perfect served with Pineapple Salsa or Tomato Pesto or with tomato salsa and jalapeños to make nachos.

The basic batter is lightly fried into small pancakes then sliced into triangles and baked in the oven. 

Wholemeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Today, my fellow Irish Foodie Bloggers are having a Cookie Party via Twitter, which is of course: a TwookieParty! Organised by Kristin at Dinner du Jour, lots of Irish foodies are currently weighing and baking as we speak! Make sure to follow all the fun by searching on the '#Twookieparty' hashtag on Twitter.

My own contribution to the party are these Wholemeal Peanut Butter Cookies, they are low in fat of course but have a nice consistency that's a mix of cookie and scone and taste great.

The cookies are best kept in an air-tight container or biscuit tin and will keep for several days. 

Yoghurt Cornbread Cake

Cornbread is made using a mixture of cornmeal also know as maize and regular flour. This recipe is sweetened with a little low fat yoghurt and honey to keep the calories down. The cake will keep perfectly for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container or biscuit tin. 

It's perfect sliced up and served with a little low fat butter or can be made into a more substantial dessert by adding some fresh fruit and adding a scoop of low fat ice cream or sweetened crème fraiche (just add some low calorie sweeteners, crushed with the back of a spoon).

Apple & Courgette Bread

Apple & Courgette bread on the menu today. This cakey-loaf is light and moist and the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea. Nice on it's own, or even better when served with a little low fat butter on top. The loaf will keep perfectly for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container or biscuit tin.

Sweet Potato Crisps

A very simple recipe on the blog today. Sweet Potato crisps are a great alternative to regular crisps and are very easy to make. 

Ready in no time, they are simply baked in the oven and topped with a little firey pepper to finish.

English Muffins

English Muffins on the menu today! English muffins are small white bread-like rolls that are delicious when toasted. Ideal with sweet or savoury toppings they are a great alternative to regular bread and are great for lunch.

Strawberry Filo Baskets

Strawberries on the menu today! This recipe is the perfect summer dessert, but with a fraction of the calories. Naturally low fat filo replaces stodgy pastry and sweetened low fat crème fraîche is used instead of full fat cream.

It's actually 'National Strawberry Week' this week and there are lots of offers about in the various supermarkets to celebrate. The Bord Bia website: Best In Season.ie has more nutritional information about strawberries and other seasonal fruit and veg. 

Strawberry Yoghurt Cookies

These strawberry cookies get their flavour from a mixture of strawberry yoghurt and strawberry jam. A little bit cake-y, a little bit scone-y, they have a similar consistency to macaroons and go great with a cup of tea or a coffee. 

They are delicious on their own, but you could also slice them in half and add a little low fat butter spread.

The cookies are best kept in an air-tight container or biscuit tin and will keep for several days.

Carrot Cake Muffins

These carrot cake muffins are light and moist and unlike other muffin recipes, don't contain lots of oil.

You could easily add some fruit such as dried raisins, fresh blueberries or blackberries to the completed mixture. A handful of chopped nuts would also work, but make sure to count the extra calories if you are watching your weight. 

Banana & Raisin Bread

A bit of baking on the menu today to ease you into the new week! This banana and raisin bread is light and moist and delicious with a cuppa. Great served on it's own, even better with a little low fat butter on top. The loaf will keep perfectly for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container or biscuit tin. 

Banana & Bran Muffins

These banana and bran muffins are a light and very moist, yet surprisingly filling. Ideal as a breakfast on the go, or a great top up your daily fibre later in the day.

You could easily increase the fruit content by folding in some fresh blueberries or blackberries to the completed mixture. A handful of chopped nuts would also work, but make sure to count the extra calories if you are watching your weight. 

Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup

Another lighter soup on the menu today. One of the favourites from the takeaway, Chicken & Sweetcorn soup is a delicious simple soup that's a great way to use up left over chicken. Turkey would work well too.

Raisin & Oatmeal Scones

These raisin and oatmeal scones are very light to eat, yet are surprisingly filling and will keep you full for a good couple of hours. Ideal for a quick breakfast they also work well as a mid-morning snack.

Great served on their own, they are even better sliced in half with some low fat butter and sugar free jam.

Focaccia Bread

Italian Focaccia bread on the menu today. This classic Italian flat bread is a lighter alternative to garlic bread. It combines the great Italian flavours of roasted tomatoes and fresh rosemary.

Focaccia bread is an ideal accompaniment to almost any Italian dish, but works very well when there's lots of sauce to be mopped up!

It's hard to pin down what Focaccia actually means in Italian. It seems to relate to the word 'centre' though. Let me know if you know better!

Wholemeal Wraps

Wholemeal wraps on the menu today! When trying to loose weight, wholemeal options are the best ones to chose. Wholemeal bread, pasta or cereals are better for you, fill you up more and keep you full for longer.

These wraps are kept on the light side by using low fat milk and only one teaspoon of olive oil. They are great served with some cooked chicken, lettuce and a little low fat mayo.

Mince Rissoles

Mince rissoles are a great combination of minced meat, spices, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, bound together with egg and a little low fat milk. Turkey mince would be best to keep the calories down, but lean beef, pork or lamb would also work well.

Great served with Mashed Potato or Roast Potatoes with a little gravy, they could also be served in a brown roll as a burger with some Spicy Potato Wedges and a little ketchup on the side.